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Multiple Intelligences Action Research
Introduction
American
schools have traditionally favored those students who excel in the
linguistic and analytical arenas because these skills are highly valued
in our culture. Unfortunately, this traditional approach leaves certain
students behind to stumble blindly through an educational system that
ignores their unique abilities. This action research study seeks to
show that instructional activities that incorporate the multiple
intelligences can improve students' attitudes toward learning and
students' academic achievement in English class.
by Michele R. Acosta
Statement of the
Problem
Many students in
American schools are not reaching their full potential
because they are less adept than their peers in the two traditional
intelligences: verbal linguistic and logical-mathematical. This is not
to say that the development of linguistic and analytical skills should
be abandoned in favor of nontraditional approaches to education.
Rather, traditional and nontraditional approaches should be combined to
formulate a method of education that is best suited to the students who
populate our classrooms. Smagorinsky (1991) says: "I don't suggest that
we replace instruction in linguistic expression with the construction
of meaning through other intelligences. Rather, I suggest that it serve
as a complimentary means of expression" (p. 5).
The theory of multiple
intelligences, developed by psychologist Howard
Gardner (1983, 1995a, 1995b), offers a balance which teaches students
what they need to know in order to be successful in our society in a
way that compliments the unique abilities that each individual
possesses. This study seeks to show that when the theory of multiple
intelligences is applied effectively in the classroom, it can improve
students' attitudes toward learning and students' academic achievement.
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